Experimental and numerical study on lateral resistance of frictional sleeper with arrowhead groove

To enhance the stability of continuous welded rail (CWR) tracks, frictional sleepers have been developed. The frictional sleepers are new types of sleepers with grooves on the bottom, and different bottom grooves improve lateral resistances at different magnitudes. In this study, single sleeper push test (SSPT) and its model with discrete...

Rheology study of ballast-sleeper interaction with particle image Velocimetry (PIV) and discrete element modelling (DEM)

Ballast rheology is a phenomenon that describes movements of ballast particles due to the discrete nature, which eventually leads to the ballast bed fluid deformation after a long-time service. In most cases, ballast rheology is the main reason of track irregularity that leads to some track defects, e.g., hanging sleeper and mud spots....

Experimental and numerical investigations on the shear behaviour of recycled railway ballast

Ballast degradation is frequently observed under cyclic loading, and results in bearing capacity and drainage problem of ballast track. To keep the stability and safety, periodical maintenances are needed, such as cleaning and replacement, which produce a huge amount of wasted ballast. Thus, reusing the deteriorated ballast can become a...